One thing you need to know about Pasadena real estate before you buy or sell is that this is one market which has not seen the effects of the market crash. It's one of the few exceptions, as many bankruptcy attorneys in Southern California will tell you, in a state fraught with foreclosures. Where owners in most other cities and counties are on the ropes with their depreciating houses, Pasadena's actually continue to rise in value.

That's great news for sellers, for sure, but what about for buyers? Well, think of Pasadena homes in the same way as a real estate investor would think of Etobicoke condominiums. Prices continue to rise even through a worldwide recession, and that means buying here is a great investment. There's no telling how high they will go when the economy picks back up.

Right now, you can bet that selling a home in Yorkville Toronto will not necessarily net you enough money to buy an equivalent property in Pasadena. Again, the city is one of the few places in the United States you can say that about. Even low end homes are listed at over $500,000.

Of course, the average listing price and the average sale price in Pasadena tell different stories, as is the case with Mississauga condos and those for sale just about anywhere else. While homes may be listed for $560,000 in the middle of the city, the reality is that they are selling for about $150,000 less. Buyers, that's a good sign that some sharp negotiations can net you a great deal.

The houses and sellers most likely to be pinched in the negotiating process are the really high end ones, located in neighborhoods such as Garfield Heights and Oak Knoll. These houses are typically listed in the multi-million dollar categories, but end up selling for about half their listing prices.

As far as stock goes, just like Scarborough homes for sale, the majority of Pasadena homes will be single family detached dwellings. There are still options for people who enjoy downtown living. Expect to pay in the neighborhood of $400,000 for a single bedroom condo in one of the newer developments the city has to offer.

As we touched on earlier, some of the neighborhoods in Pasadena are more popular than others. More expensive neighborhoods tend to be higher up, and that means they are located in the extreme west of the city, right along its north to south border.